Tales of hope : journeys towards recovery of people whose parent was diagnosed with mental health conditions

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the emergent themes from the lived experiences of the adult children of people with mental health conditions; emphasising counselling and other support structures so that through this, counsellors may offer improved therapeutic experiences. The conceptual framework guiding this study was founded on Narrative Constructionism, as people tend to tell stories about the way they experience their reality. Based on a qualitative design, three narrative interviews have been carried out with each of the five participants. The participants were all adult children of mentally ill parents, and were recruited through criterion sampling. Three different interview schedules were designed and the interviews were audio recorded for ease of reference. The data were analysed through thematic analysis. Self-reflexivity, trustworthiness and ethical considerations were borne in mind from the initial phase of this inquiry. Various themes emerged but the four overarching themes that were identified are ‘a mother like no other’, ‘the child’, ‘stigma’ and ‘support’. This study underscores the importance of the therapeutic relationship in counselling based on trust, empathic understanding, congruence and unconditional positive regard, for the provision of a corrective emotional experience. It is being recommended that services focus on the people within the patient’s system too rather than viewing the patient in isolation. This needs to be sustained by further research projects so as to evaluate the need, management and outcomes of such services. This study also asks for the counselling profession on a local level to be acknowledged as one of the helping professions in the mental health sector and in other sectors.